I ended up with a bottle of this after a weekend road trip with my buddies. A friend of mine commented that he was going to clear out his fridge and bring some beer along for our weekend away. This was still left in my cooler once I got home and I drank it about a week later. The first thing I want to comment on is that I noticed that there hasn't been any reviews made on this beer in over a year. When was it last brewed? I realized that I was drinking a beer that is at least a year old. (no "bottled on" date on the bottle). I don't think this is a beer that is supposed to age so it may affect in a negative way what I think about it.

The first sip was almost medicinal or acidic in it's taste. I didn't like it. As I drank it though, I got a pleasant wheat taste and some fruits underneath this. It wasn't anything special but certainly went down easy enough once I got going. (885 characters)

M: Thin viscosity, wet and insubstantial on the palate, with low carbonation.

D/O: A fairly well put-together hefeweizen, this beer boasts a really original and appealing flavor profile that is unexpected. Otherwise, the qualities of this beer are inoffensive but not really remarkable. (928 characters)

Appearance: With a reasonably aggressive pour, a billowing eggshell head forms on top of a hazy light yellow beer. Although the head subsides somewhat, it leaves some nice lace on the glass.

Smell: Strong, balanced aroma. Lots of banana here, but it is not overpowering, which for me is key in enjoying a Hefe. Some tropical fruits swirl up as well.

Taste: Up front there is a honey-like sweetness with a firm banana flavor. The wheat is apparent, and the cloves come in with the rest of the yeast's spicy flavor. Some pineapple and orange citrus work to mellow out the banana, which really helps to keep it out of the overly sweet category. A touch of alcohol steps in right at the end, not a pleasant flavor in a beer of this ABV, and the one real knock I have against the flavor.

Mouthfeel: As would be expected, the body is light to medium, with a fizzy, bubbly creaminess that almost gets into the excellent category. After each sip there is a light residual stickiness and oiliness (maybe from the hops?) left on my lips. Toward the end of the sip the feel dries out a little bit after starting fairly sweet.

Overall: I was a little bit surprised by this - I was not expecting a subtle, balanced Hefe when I bought this, but that is what I got. I was torn between 4 and 4.5 for taste, so I make that revision here. (1,372 characters)

Note: This review is not from a fresh bottle, but from one that got lost in the back of my fridge for months.When I get a fresher one, I'll change this review accordingly.

Dark and hazy yellow in color, giant poofy foam head that recedes rather quickly because my bottle is a bit old, oh well. Body is of medium firmness and cushioney soft to the palate with bubbles (yes it is carbonated still) that tingle on the tongue. I smell light booze notes, banana bread and wheat crackers. I can taste wheatey goodness with just a hint of yeasty twang and light honeyed sweetness, but the cloves and spicing are very much muted from bottle age, sadly.

I can tell (from recently having had a Dancing Man) that this bottle is an age-neutered version of something very similar in quality. The malt which is left behind after the spices have been subtracted is exactly the same sort of stuff I found and enjoyed so much in Dancing Man. It is for this reason that I am waiting with great anticipation for it to be released again, so that I may review it in its fresh form. It should be considered a great recommendation for this beer that even when deadened by shelf age, I consider it just as good as an average hefeweizen. (1,215 characters)

A- Typical appearance for a wheat beer, hazy, dark yellow straw color, nice carbonation, one finger frothy head. S- Typical delicious aromas from this style, banana, citrus, clove, spice, slight cinnamon comes out for this beer, nice sweet refreshing aroma, as well as hints of lemon.T- Taste what you smell in this one, slight hops comes out as well as lemon zest, banana, cloves, spice, and citrus accompanying in the flavors, well carbonated.M- Light mouthfeel, nice and crisp drinkability, well carbonated, refreshing.O- Solid beer from New Glarus, really easy drinkability, enjoyed with a friend during a nice cool evening on my deck, very refreshing. (717 characters)

Good glow from the beer, yellow, lots of haze, massive head. Aroma was very hoppy for style, citrus orange and tangerine feel to it.

Taste, layers of hops, wheat, pepper and banana produce one of the most unique flavor profiles in a beer I've ever had. Should call it cracked weird. Relies on citrus hop flavor more than the marginal amount of banana clove yeast flavors. Like a west coast wheat. Not as good as sumpinx2, but more unique I'd say, and not all that distant of a second to it or Gumballhead. Wheat flavor is grassy and dry. Carbonation remains on point throughout, wish this one was a little more widely available when I make it back to Wisconsin. (663 characters)

12 oz into a pint glass. Cloudy orange-yellow typical of the style with a good head that retains well. Smell has some good yeast funk and wheat sharpness. I'd be interested to know what quantity of wheat New Glarus uses in their mash for this one. One of the better tasting American made wheat beers I've ever had. Mouthfeel doesn't disappoint for the style, crisp with nothing objectionable at all. If you can find it in your area, buy it and try it. I wish they sold this in Chicago, I only can buy it in season when I go visit family in WI. This brew's a winner. (565 characters)

I had this from a 12-oz. bottle on March 15. I had it in a New Glarus Spotted Cow pint glass.

A - Dark yellow, very typical of a wheat beer. Heavy head with exceptional lacing.

S - An awesome melody of clove, cinnamon and citrus nose. The yeast smell almost jumps out of the glass. Everything smells complex and interesting.

T - It has a great Bavarian-style hefeweizen taste with an interesting pale ale hoppy note to it. It isn't overboard with the secondary spice flavors like some hefes are. I love the taste. World class.

M - Superior. A bold, sharp aftertaste that tells you there's a greater hop character than in a lot of hefes.

O - Give me more. Now. Too bad it's only a seasonal and it's sold only in Wisconsin. This and Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat would probably be my go-to beers. For now, it's just a treat. (824 characters)

Received in a trade I seem to forget from who sometimes, sorry, but whoever it was thanks. Went a little something like this...

A- Wow talk about unfiltered, a crazy looking golden yellow color, extremely hazy and yeast swirling around all over the place. A great level or carb that I can hear hissing to the top to try and dissipate the thick and fluffy white head.

S- All of the usuals from a well done hefe. A burst of spice, cloves and that subtle and sweet banana aroma that good hefes put out. Some allowed warming and not much has changed the bananas linger on and have let the cloves and spice from the yeast come out to a more prominent role.

T- A ridiculous impact of spicy delight has just consumed my taste buds. It's all the spiciness of the yeast, cloves, nutmeg and possible a pinch or touch of cinnamon. Extremely well integrated and very enjoyable.

M- Very effervescent, a nice coating, great tingle and prickle and a nice crisp, clean finish. A very refreshing experience that is taking me back to the original world class hefe that we all know and love so dearly.

D- Hell yes! Awesomely refreshing, crisp, clean and enough spice to satisfy even the most fickle palates. Not my favorite style, but damn this is a tasty one. One more please!

Another solid offering from New Glarus. Please stop being so stingy and distribute to other states! (1,366 characters)

Poured from a 12oz bottle into my Sam Adams pint glass. It poured a hazy, pale golden color with a big bubbly and fluffy white head to it. The head settled but still left a decent covering to the beer, and also left some nice lacing.

The aroma has a touch of a peppery, spiciness to it along wit ha nice bright lemon and orange citrus coming through. A moderate banana bread flavor comes through as well.

The taste starts with some of the yeasty, sligtly peppery spice but the lemon and orange citrus takes over pretty quickly. It gets more bready with some banana and apple flavors towards the finish. Very bright and citrusy overall.

The mouthfeel is light and the carbonation is a bit above average but pretty normal for the style. Drinkability is good, it was a very nice beer overall. I really liked how the citrus seemed to be the star of the show and the spice played more of a supporting role. Very nice beer and fit my tastes very nicely for the style. (965 characters)

The beer pours a hazy light yellow color with a huge white head. The aroma is basic hefeweizen with some banana, wheat and vanilla notes. I get a little clove, but not too much.

The flavor is wheat, banana, cloves and some orange citrus notes. As the beer warms, I start to get some grassy hops and a low amount of bitterness. A very interesting flavor combination that makes this a unique beer.

A - This beer pours 2 1/2 fingers of creamy white head. The retention is great and creates a mountain of foam as the sides settle into the glass. The beer is very a very hazy pale yellow color. There is active carbonation present.

S - Fruity esters from the yeast stand out the most in the aroma. There is also cinnamon and faint citrus present.

M - Light to medium in body with prickly carbonation.

T - Lemon and citrus present themselves first followed by the fruity yeast character. Clove and hints of cinnamon round out the finish.

I tend to not enjoy hefeweizens, but I can say this is the best one I've had thus far. I like the combination of assertive American hop character with the classic hefe with local ingredients used. Well worth trying. (755 characters)

This beer has a great nose. Lots of banana and spice leap right out at you and make this a unique wheat in world of rather dull American variations. The taste is really the only downbeat, a little murky and dull, really a disappointment after the noteworthy nose. Clean and easy drinking with a lovely overall quality that merits a try. Based on the other reviews here I think I may be overly harsh on the taste but I guess it is all subjective. A good contribution to a style that is sorely lacking from most American brewers. (527 characters)

Pours a very hazy moderate golden orange color with a nice white head. The nose is instantly interesting and very noticeable with a fairly strong citrus presence in addition to a good deal of light clove and banana. This follows through on the taste, where it is exactly as advertised--a hefeweizen with some nice American citrus hops. The feel is a bit creamy and slightly bitter, though the hops come out more in the nose and taste. Just absolutely, undeniably an uber-sessionable beer. Amazing stuff. (548 characters)

Tasted from 12oz bottle purchased at Discount Liquor. The pour is a cloudy light colored orange with a massive frothy white head that lasts for quite a while. The nose is classic wheat beer with cinnamon, clove, and the addition of some citrus (mostly orange oil) hops. There is also a nice aroma of bread yeastiness. The flavor of this beer is awesome, with orange and pineapple fruitiness on the front of the palate and orange peel hops coming through after. There is also a hint of banana and clove. The hops become just a little bitter on the back. The body is fairly light with active carbonation and a long pineapple finish with the signature sticky feel that I get with most wheat beers. This is the best wheat beer I have had to this point in my life. (759 characters)

Wow, in tradition of New Glarus nonconformity, we have a wheat beer with a brick of Amarillo hops thrown at it.

No worries about the size of the head here (no need to check for steroids, either), as it is just beer ... an impressive-looking beer with a typical hazed, golden glow. The head likes to stick around as well. Big, fragrant, raw herbal notes; powdered aspirin and tangerine Amarillo hop aroma with some biscuity malt and nutty yeast in the back. Smoothness pops with every sip; medium bodied. Smacks of Amarillo hops; bitterness draws in a pucker, but never charges in with sharpness. The dry hopping adds more of a complimenting flavor throughout, with lemongrass and citric flavors. Clean wheat flavor with a nutty yeast by its side. Finishes dry and hoppy.

Amarillo is a tough hop to tame; in the wrong hands, it can become a catastrophe. That is not the case here, as it adds a needed depth to the American Wheat Ale style. Delicious comes to mind. (1,011 characters)

Appearance: The pour is a sunshine wheat color with two fingers of fluffy, foamy head. Despite what I was expecting, the beer is quite clear. A few streaks of lace are on the side of my pint glass.

Smell: The nose is fantastic, peel after peel of banana, orange peel and some spice from the yeast like clove and a little pepper.

Taste: This is definitely a more hoppy hefeweizen. I don't know that I've had a hefeweizen quite this hoppy before, but I really enjoy it. It still has a nice wheat backbone, with the Belgian yeast pulling through a lot of flavor such as banana and pepper and clove. The hops add a nice bitterness, but also a very pleasant orange peel flavor for the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation was spot on as soon as opening. The beer has a thin to slightly medium body depending on how much carbonation is left in the glass.

Drinkability: This is, without a doubt, going to end up in my crate again. (988 characters)

Appearance is a cloudy golden yellow with a perfect white head that almost looks like melted marshmallow. Retention is outstanding, not losing a thing from full to empty. A big sniff yields a fresh burst of banana and lemon. If the aroma is any indication of what it will taste like, there should be no shortage of hefe yeastiness.

The flavor is not surprisingly, dense and very similar to the smell. I get a lot of banana with some clove and also a light citrus hoppyness contributing to the lemon flavor. Finish is long, with a touch of bitterness and the slightest bit of sourness, which also brings lemon to mind. The mouthfeel is also a strong point - full and creamy. There's less carbonation in Crack'd Wheat than in many hefeweizens, but I personally prefer the smooth feel here to the prickly.

Goddamn! This beer really impressed me. Most hefeweizens I can take or leave, but this was easily one of the best I have ever tasted. I must say that it's good to be back in the Midwest. (991 characters)